Potato-digger.



E. G. SCHRBIBER.

POTATO BIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED JANA, 190a.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. G. SGHREIBER.

POTATO DIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED JANA, 1908.

906,567. Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

W M&%M

ERNST G. SOHREIBER, OF HAMMOND, INDIANA.

POTATO-BIGGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Application filed January 4, 1908. Serial No. 409,356.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST G. SGHREIBER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hammond, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Diggers, of whichthe following is a specification.

Although I herein describe a combined potato digger and separator, mypresent invention is limited to improvements in the construction of thelatter, the former having been fully disclosed in my prior patent No.853,601, granted May 14;, 1907.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a simple and effective meansfor separating the earth and vines from the potatoes and casting thevines to one side.

On the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification andon the various views of which like reference characters refer to thesame parts, I have illustrated preferred and desirable embodiments of myinvention.

On these drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section of the machine insideof one of the drive wheels on line 11 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a plan viewof the machine; Fig. 3 is a detail plan of the rake and its actuatingmechanism; Fig. 4 is a section on line 1 41 of Fig. 3 viewed in thedirection indicated by the arrow; and Fig. 5 is a partial elevation andpar tial section of a fragment of a modified form of the machineillustrating a different style of rake.

Since the main portion of the machine has been fully described andillustrated in my prior patent mentioned above, a further description ofthe same here is deemed unnecessary. Pivotally mounted on the main shaft10, which is rotated from the large driving wheels 11 by means ofcooperating large and small gears 12 and 13, is a separator frame 14consisting of two side plates 15 united by front and rear arched orupwardlybowed members 16 and 17 As is indicated, these side plates 15are hinged or pivoted on shaft 10 and have forwardly-extcnding arms 18in which is j ournaled a transverse or crossshaft 19, carrying at oneend a gear 20 meshing with another gear 21 on the shaft 10 and suppliedat its other end with a crank disk 22. As is obvious, the rotation ofshaft 10, which is derived from the carrying wheels 11 through the gears12 and 13, is transmitted to the transverse shaft 19 by the cooperatinggears 21 and 20. Suitable slots 23 are formed in the bottom edges of theside plates 24 of the digging portion of the machine to receive theshaft 19 when the frame 1 1 is lowered. No adjusting means for thisframe is shown on the drawings but any suitable mechanism for thispurpose may be employed, as is obvious. The side bars 25 of a screen 26are each hung from the side plates or bars 15 of the frame 1 1 by meansof a pair of links 27 of equal length \i'hich give to the screen aparallel-motion mounting. The screen itself consists of a plurality ofsubstantially-parallel rods connected at their forward ends to across-bar 28 which connects together the side bars 25. Gear 20 and thecrank-disk 22 are each provided with a wrist-pin to which is connectedthe forward end of a link or connecting bar 29, the rear end of which isjoined at 30 to the corresponding side-bar 25 of the screen. It will beapparent from this construction that as the machine travels forwardlythe rotation of the driving wheels 11 is transmitted through the gears12 and 13, shaft 10, and gears 21 and 20 to the transverse shaft 19, andthat because of the link connection between the gear 19 and crank disk22 and the screen, the latter is shaken and given a parallel-motionmovement due to the two-link mountings of the side bars 25 on the frame1 1, the connection of the bars 25 with the links 27 being preferablyadjustable, as indicated.

The screen 26 separates the earth from the potatoes, and in order toseparate the vines from the potatoes a second screen 30 is arrangedabove the screen 26 and consists of rods having their front endsconnected to the cross-bar 2S and their rear ends curved laterally or toone side, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. Coacting or cooperating withthe screen 30 is a rake 31 arranged upon an angularlydisposed crankportion 32 of a cross-shaft 33, the latter being rotatably mounted insuitable bearings 34 upon the side-plates 15. This shaft has on one ofits ends a sprocket wheel 35 which meshes with the links of the upperstretch of a sprocket chain 36 passing over a sprocket wheel 37 on themain drive shaft 10, and also over an idle sprocket wheel 38 mountedupon the rear arch 17. The rake 31 has a hub 39 formed with rake fingers40, a stop-arm 41, and a lug or projection 42 for the adjustment of aspring. The hub 39 is rotatable on tie cranked portion 32 of the shaft33 and is hinged between the legs of a substantially U-shaped hanger 43loosely mounted on the crank 32 and pivotally connected to the rear endof a link 44, the front end of which is hinged to the forward arch bar16. The stop arm 41 is normally held in engagement with a stop 45 uponthe hanger 43 by means of a coil spring 46 which connects the hangerwith the lug or projection 42, as is clearly shown in Fig. 4. It will beobserved that when the crank shaft 33 is rotated by means of thesprocket chain 36 which derives its power from the main drive shaft 10,the rake will be oscillated, its rotation being prevented by the link 44which holds the hanger 43 in place, so as to effectively engage thevines upon the rack or screen and draw or throw them outwardly to oneside of the machine. Owing to the spring connection 46 between the rakeand the hanger, the former will yield if it engages a bunch of vineswhich is larger and heavier than it can move.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a different form of rake arrangement, this rakehaving a pair of prongs or fingers 50 of sufficient length dur ing aportion of their travel to extend between and below the curved barsforming the screen 30. The upper ends of these fingers or prongs arebolted or screwed to a supporting member 51, bearings between the twobeing provided so that the parts may oscillate on the angularly-disposedportion of the cranked shaft 33 on which they are mounted.

Pivoted to the upper end of the supporting member 51 is a screw-threadedconnecting rod 52, and hinged on the front arch 16 at the point 53 is acylindrical casing 54 slotted on its opposite sides at 55 andcentrally-apertured at its end adjacent to the rake to receive a part ofthe connecting rod 52 which extends therethrough into the interior ofthe casing or sleeve. Screw-threaded on the rod 7 52 and abuttingagainst one end of the casing is a pair of nuts 56 which permitadjustment of the length of the combined rod and casing to be readilymade, so that an efficient and correct action of the rake may be securedand any necessary adjustment made because of the wearing of the parts.At the end of the rod 52 and adjustable thereon is a cross-bar 57, theends of which work and slide in the slots 55, and interposed betweenthis crossbar or head and the end of the casing I provide a coilcompression spring 58. During the ordinary operation of this modifiedform of the construction, the combined rod 52 and casing 54 acts merelyas a convenient means for permitting the oscillation of the rake on thecrank shaft to prevent its complete rotation. If the fingers of therake, however, engage a bunch or body of the vines which they cannotreadily move, the rod 52 slides Within the casing against the action ofspring 58, permitting sufficient variation in the able, since amongother things the length of the rod 52 can be varied or modified. It willbe understood that the rake fingers or prongs in their operation travelto one side in substantial accordance with the curvature of the rodsforming the screen 30, and that they move the vines to one side,effecting their ready discharge. Although I have shown and described thecrank shaft 33 with only one cranked or off-set portion, it will beobvious that any number of these angularlydisposed cranked portions maybe employed, each being equipped with an operating rake. The angulardisposition of the cranked portions of the shaft may be anythingdesired, though perhaps an arrangement with the parts 180 degrees apartwould be preferable.

Although I have described with a considerable degree of particularitythe details of construction of this portion of my improved digger andseparator, it is to be understood that my invention is not restricted tothe precise structural features shown, which may be varied within widelimits without departure from the substance or essence of my inventionand without sacrificing its benefits and advantages.

I claim:

1. In a separating mechanism for a potato digger, the combination of ascreen composed of rods bent toward one side of the machine, a shafthaving a cranked portion angularly disposed with relation to the mainaxis of the shaft, a rake hinged on said cranked portion, a connectionbetween said rake and a part of the machine, and means to rotate saidshaft, substantially as described.

2. In a separating mechanism for a potato digger, the combination of ascreen composed of rods bent toward one side of the machine, a shafthaving a cranked portion angularly disposed with relation to the mainaxis of the shaft, a rake hinged on said cranked portion,

a connection adjustable as to length between said rake and a part of themachine, and means to rotate said shaft, substantially as described.

3. In a separating mechanism for a potato digger, the combination of ascreen composed of rods bent toward one side of the machine, a shafthaving a cranked portion angularly disposed with relation to the mainaxis of the shaft, a rake hinged on said cranked portion,

a spring connection adjustable as to length between said rake and a partof the machine, and means to rotate said shaft, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a separating mechanism for a potato digger, the combination of ascreen composed of rods bent toward one side of the machine,

a shaft having a cranked portion angularly disposed with relation to themain axis of the shaft ,a rake hinged on said cranked portion, aconnection between said rake and a part of the machine consisting of arod, a casing surrounding said rod, a spring interposed between saideasing and rod and acting thereupon, and means to rotate said shaft,substantially as described.

5. In a separating mechanism for a potato digger, the combination of ascreen composed of rods bent toward one side of the machine, a shafthaving a cranked portion angularly disposed with relation to the mainaxis of the shaft, a rake hinged on said cranked portion, means torotate said shaft, and a connection between said rake and a part of themachine consisting of a screwthreaded rod, a casing within which saidrod is slidable, a nut on said rod adapted to abut against an outer faceof said casing, an adjustable abutment on said rod in said casing, and aspring interposed between said abutment and said casing, substantiallyas described.

6. In a separating mechanism for a potato digger, the combination of avibratory screen composed of rods bent toward one side of the machine, ashaft having a cranked portion angularly disposed with relation to themain axis of the shaft, a rake hinged on said cranked portion, aconnection between said portion angularly dis rake and a part of themachine, and means to rotate said shaft, substantially as described.

7. In a separating mechanism for a potato digger, the combination of ascreen composed of rods bent toward one side of the machine, aparallel-motion mounting for said screen, means to vibrate said screenon said parallel motion mounting, a shaft having a cranked osed withrelation to the main axis of the siaft, a rake hinged to said crankedportion, a connection between said rake and a part of the machine, andmeans to rotate said shaft, substantially as described.

8. In a separating mechanism for a potato digger, the combination of ascreen composed of rods bent toward one side of the machine, aparallel-motion mounting for said screen, means to vibrate said screenon said parallelmotion mounting, a shaft having a cranked portionangularly disposed with relation to the main axis of the shaft, means torotate said shaft, a rake hinged on said cranked portion, and aconnection capable of elongation hinged to said rake and to a part ofthe machine, substantially as described.

\VALTER M. FULLER, FREDERICK C. GoonwrN.

